Daily Gospel Reflection for February 6, 2021

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Mark 6:30-34

So often I find motherhood hidden in the Scriptures in the unlikeliest of spots. In today’s Gospel, we read of the Apostles, who were so busy doing--helping, healing, teaching--that they hadn’t had time to even eat.

Sound familiar to any other mom out there? How often we are so engaged in our ministry, in our vocation of motherhood, that we do not have time even to eat!

What is Our Lord’s response to His beloved apostles in this situation? He invites them to go to a deserted place to spend time with just Him. He invites them to rest in Him. That invitation can be hard for us mothers to answer, can’t it? There is so much to do. Yet Our Lord knows that our to-do lists can be hard masters. He calls us away.

The Apostles respond to Jesus’ invitation, and then what happens? The people catch wind of where they are going and arrive ahead of them to wait for them. How often have you, mama, tried to give yourself twenty minutes alone only to have someone call your name in the first thirty seconds of silence?

So what are we to do? We are to answer Our Lord’s invitation to rest in Him and we are to hold the expectation of it loosely. Make time to rest with Him. Let Him love you and minister to you. How? How can mothers, especially mothers of many littles, do this? There are as many answers as there are families. Some get up early, some stay up late. Some take fifteen-minute walks alone in the evening. Some hide in the bathroom. Some put on a TV show for the kids and spend 22 precious minutes in the sunroom.

However, do not cling to this time of rest, as you will sometimes be called to give it up. He knows our needs and the needs of everyone in our family. Sometimes it will be our desire for solitude that is given, but sometimes He will answer our children’s need for comfort through us.

If a child wanders in to find you at the very start of your quiet time, have pity on him, as our Lord did on the people in this Gospel. Teach her many things, beginning with Jesus’ love for her and His longing to spend time with her.

Ponder:

Am I answering God’s call to abide with Him or have I chosen to crown my to-do list as king? Conversely, do I cling to my quiet time, resentful of any interruptions?

Pray:

Dear God, You know how hard it is for me to come away into solitude. Give me eyes to see a space in my schedule for spending quiet time with You and the grace to choose You.